Internal-combustion engine



May 14, 1929.

F. G. THANNH'AUSER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec. 25;4 A19125 6 Sheets-Sheet M, l929. F. G. TMANNHAUSER 1712945 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec. 23,I 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 atbozuma May 14, 1929.

F. G. THANNHAUSER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE S Sheets-Sheet Filed Dec. 25, 1925 mmlllul "f im W29x u1'. G. THANNHAUSER Y 1,712,945;

NTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec, 23, 1925 e Sheng-sheet 4 May Mpmzg u F. THANNHAUSER 1312945 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec. 23, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 14, 1929 F. G. TH'ANNHAUSER 712,945

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Dec. 23. 1925 6 Shee'ts-Shet 6 Patented ay 14, 1929.

lfNiTiio STATES 'FRED G. THANNHUSER,

or nnirnorr, micnienn.

rNTnnNAn-consrrsrion anemia.

Application neri netemter 'llhis invention relates to internal combustion engines of the rotary piston type wherein the pistons are'carried by and rotate with a rotary power shaft, transmitting power directly thereto instead of through the medium of cranlts and connecting rods or equivf alent mechanical motion translating means.

lin many attempts to devise engines of this type considerable difficulty has usually been met with in providing for efficient intalre and compression of explosive gases in the cylinders and attempts to meet this problem have generally contemplated the use of gas compressing means exterior to thecylinders and the aission of pre-compressed gas to the said cylinders. By my invention l provide a piston system wherein the pow-er pistons move continuously' in a constant direction and wherein provision is made for varying the combustion space behind such pistons in a simple and ei'fective manner.

The invention also aims to provide means whereby a four-cycle operation may be obtained in an engine having power pistons moving in one direction around theanis of a power shaft; and, further, to obtain a p lurality of such cycles during each revolution of said pistons. v

A. further object of the invention is to provide for the utilizing of a single toroidal f cylinder for the housing of a plurality of continuously movable pistons thereinandto provide for the application of eiiplosiveforces to said pistons by the alternate compressing and exploding of gases behind each piston as it moves beyond certain points whereby its continued movement around the said toroidal cylinder is maintained.

Still further the said invention proposes to provide an internal combustion engine with a toroidal cylinder wherein are arranged pairs of pistons, each pair including a power piston operating a rotary power shaft, and a head piston adapted to alternately recede 'from and approach said power piston in a relative manner, to provide a variable combustion chamber "between the said head and power pistons and result in suction, compression, expansion and exhaust functions inI the said combustion chambers.

The invention also contemplates a balshaft.

to the shaft dislr by means of 23, 1925. Serial No. 77,41%.

anced arrangement of the rotating parts with substantial freedom from complicated mechanisms in securing a four cycle effect in such engine, and also the obtaining of an even torque in the operation of said engine.

Still further objects subsidiary to or resulting from the aforesaid objects, or from the construction or operation of the invention as it may be carried into effect, will become apparent as the said invention is hereinafter further disclosed.

lln carrying the said invention into effect, ll may provide an engine casing of a generally circular form, having a toroidal cvlinder therein in which a plurality of pistons are adapted to travel in a circular path about the axis of the engine casing, these pistons being mounted on a dislr mounted upon a power shaft extending airially of the said casing so that the said pistons rotate in one with the said power Behind each of the said pistons is arranged a further piston hereinafter called the head piston also movable around Vthe said toroidal cylinder and carried `by a further dislr rotatable on the said shaft and coupled cranlrs and connecting rods, which cranlrs are operable by planetary pinions engaging a fired sun gear carried by the said casing, in such manner that the rotation of the first mentioned disk results in the operation of the said cranlr and causes the connecting rod to impart a variable rotary movement to the other dislr, whereby during the rotation of the power pistons the head pistons alternately r'ecede from and approach the said power pistons, varying the spa-ce therebetween.

Firing means are opposite points in solid cylinder and valve controlled inlet ports, also at diametrically opposite points, intermediate said sparlr plugs, as well as valveless exhaust ports in the cylinder wall approaching said inlet ports; the operation of said cranks being so related to the positions of said sparlr plugs and ports that, as each pair of power and head pistons passes beyond the inlet port their relative spacing is increased, causin suction therebetween, following which which is in turn' provided at diainetrically Y said cranks reduce such spacing causing compression as the said pistons ap roach said spark plugs. The iiring is eecte by suitably 'timed means and the pistons thenagain separate as they approach the exhaust ports,

under the explosive inuenee, the space therebetween being then again reduced for the exhausting of the production of combustion throu h such exhaust ports.

All of which is more particularly described and ascertained hereinafter by way `of example in and by the following descr1ption of the accompanymg drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is an elev'ation of an internalcombustion engine constructed in accordance with this invention, part of the casing being broken away; A

Figure 2 is an elevation artly in section of the same with the inlet side of the casing removed, together with vthe parts carried thereby and the upper part of the head piston disk cut away;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the engine taken on the l'me 3"-3", Figure l;

igure 4 is a-sectional view of the engine taken on the line 4-4", Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a entary detail sectional view taken on the luie 5-5", Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6*-63 Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 7"- Figure. 1;

Figure 8 is adetail view in section of the oil ump and tappet housing;

igure 9 illustrates in transverse section and 1n elevation partly in section one ot the power pistons;

Figure 10 illustrates an end view partly in section and in side elevation partly in section of one of the head pistons;

disk,

1*" taken on the line 12x-12", Figure' 1l;

Figure 13 is an elevation of the head piston disk partly broken away to indicate a rim section;

Figure 14 is a transverse section of the same taken on the line 14"14", Figure 13;

Figure` 15 is a detail perspective view of one .of the piston connecting members;

Figure 15Il is a broken perspective view of one ofthe connecting member securing bolts, and

Figures 16, 17, 18,19, 2O and 2l illustrate diagrammatically the cycle of operation of the engine` pistons. Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts in the several figures of the drawings.

The-@engine casing or cylinder blbck is shown as comprising front and back castings v1 and 2, each formed with an annular channel of semi-circular cross section '3 and 4 res ectively, forming, when the members 1y an 2 aresecured together as by bolts 5,

Figure 11 is an elevation of the power is a sectional view of the same' a toroidal cylinder 6, the said members be- 4 l 12, the first of which I term the power disk,

is keyed to the main shaft 10 and the other disk 12 which I term the head disk, is rotatably mounted on the said main shaft and is provided with a ball bearing 13 to reduce friction between thel said disk 12 and the said shaft, the two. disks however being coupled together by links 14 connect.

ing cranks 15 carried by the power disk to pins 16 carried by the head disk. The shafts 17 of these cranks extend through bearings 18 in the power disk Aand have planetary inions 19 mounted on their outer ends, whic pinions are meshed with a sun gear 20 fixedly carried within the member 2 of the engine casing, so that rotation of the casing relative to the said power disk results in rotation of the crank shafts 17 at a ratio in this case of four to one.

Within the said cylinder 6 are equi-distantly arranged four pistons 21, 21'5, 21", and 21, and the ower disk is peri herally recessed at22 or the rece tion o connecting members 23, securing t e said istons to the said disk, the form of the sai connecting members and their method of attachment being further described hereinafter.

. Other pistons which I refer to as head pistons 24, 24, 24" and 24 are also equi-distantl housed in the cylinder 6 and interpose ,between the power pistons, these bead pistons being attached to the head disk 12 by connecting members 25 entering recesses 26 in the periphery of the said head disk in similar manner to the connecting members 23 of the ower pistons. Both the ower pistons and) the head pistons are capalile of circular movement along the toroidal cylinder 6, and it will be obvious that such movement of the power istons will result in rotation of the power isk 11 and of the main shaft 10.

It will be further seen that such rotation of the power disk results in the planetary movement of the pinions 19 around the sun gear 20, with resultant rotation of the cranks 15, and that this will further result in lthe connecting links 14 imparting a rotary motion to the head disk 12 of an intermittent nature which determines the movement of the head pistons 24, 24, 24" and 24 with respect to the movement of the power pistons, whereby the spacing between the power plistons and the head pistons varies as t e power pistons travel around the cylinder. v In the illustrated said cranks pass between the axes of the said pinions and the axis of the engine. This condition of reverse movement between the power and head disks continues until the said cranks 15 and the connecting links 1,4 approach alignment, as indicated in Figure 19 which shows the power pistons and head pistons at approximately their greatest relative spacing, whereupon the forward movement of the head disk begins to take place due to the forward throw of the vThese operations are of course' descriptive of all of the power and head pistons of the engine, and it willbe quite apparent that as the power of the explosions referred to causes the separation of the power pistons l 21 and 21 from the head'pistons 24 and 241 f explosive mlxtureY being induced throughv respectively, the incidental se aration of the power pistons 21'L and 21 om the head pistons 24 and 24 will result 1n charges of the inlet ports 28 due tothe fact that the power stroke of the said pistons 21 and 21b A-results in the suction stroke of'the power pistons 21 and 21.

At the scribed, the cammed member 34 has effected the opening of the inlet valves and the operation of the distributor as required, the said inlet valves reclosing when the ports assume approximately the positions Vshown in Figure 19 wherein the suction stroke of the power pistons 21 and 21 is completed.

Referring now to Figure 20, it will be noted that the power pistons still travelhng forward at constant speed, the cranks 15 are performing their outward throw which-results inan accelerated forward motion of the head disks and of the head pistons so that the head pistons are now gaining upon the power pistons and reducing the space between the said head pistons; and the said power pistons; and as the power pistons .21 and 21b-have now passed beyond the beginning of the exhaust ports 54, this accelerated movement of the head pistons 21 and 21b effects the exhausting ofthe products of combustion from -between them Vand the wer pistons in` advance thereof. 7

At thegs'ame time the approach of the :head pistons 24* and 24 towards the power pistons 21* and 21 results in ajcompresslon of the explosive charge therebetween, this accelerated movement of the -head pistons Ycontinuing until they haveA assumed their closest approach to their respective power pistons, as indicated in 21, where- -upon complete exhaust and compresslon strokes as.A described have taken place, the final position being that indicated in Figure 16, except that all of the pistons have now completed "wandhatrthe head pistons 21 and 24 have 55, assumed-,the positions of the pistons 21 and beginning' of the operation: de-

a quarter travel of the cylinderV 24 'indicated in the said Figure 1G and the explosive charge therebetween is about to be fired.

It is preferred that the head disk and its pistons be as lightas possible while the power disk and its pistons may be comparatively heavy. As shown in Figures 11 and 12 the power disk is of substantial weight and is provided with recesses for the accommodation of the connecting links 14 and deeper circular recesses 56 for the accommodation of the cranks 15, the said power disk v per end 60 provided witha 'lateral lip 61,'

the said piston being xprovided with a recess 62 on the inner side thereof for the reception of the upper end of the connecting member and a further recess 63 receiving the lip 61, whereby the connecting-member may be attached to the piston vby a sliding movement transverselybf the piston; and further securing of the connecting member in its recess in the power disk I provide tubular bolts 64, Figure 2.the ends of which are adapted to pass through radial holes G5 in the said disk into orifices 66 provided for the accommodation of securing nuts 67. Theseitubular bolts also afford vents for 'the interior of the pistonvwhen it is hollow as may be desirable.

The connecting members 25 of the head pistons are similar to the connecting members 24 and the head disk 12 is similarly provided with radial holes 68 and orifices 69 for the accommodation of the securing bolts Y70 and nuts 71 of the head disk and piston assembly, and the head pistons are hollow and have their rear ends perforated as at 71 so that communication is established through the said perforations and bore 70* of the tubular bolts 70 between the chamber 7 and the spaces between the head piston and the power pistons following such head pistons, it being understood that this spacing varies inversely as the spacing between the head pistons and their respective power pistons varies, and consequently rovision'must be made for the paage of uid to and from such space to prevent the building up of compressions or the formation of vacuums therein.

Although the annular channels of the castings 1 and 2 are referred to as being of semi-circular crosssection, they are not comlll titl

"" laces ot the castings pletely so, as the Walls of the members 1 and 2 do not meeton the inner periphery of the cylinder but are substantially spaced apart to receive the rims 57 and 58 of the power and head disks, which rims have arcuately beveled peripheries Z2 and 73 respectively conforming to the curvature of the cylinder and when in position completing the cylinder wall. The axes ot the pistons are also curved to agree with the curvature ot the axis ot the cylinder as will be quite apparent.

The rims ot the power and head disks meet in a plane common with the curved anis ot the cylinder, and the lparts oli the connecting members 22 and 25 which enga gc the said disks are odset relativeto the upper parts ol the said connecting members to4 agree with the respective positions ot the said power and head disks on each side et the said plane.

'llhe rim ot one or other ot the said disks, in this case the head disk ll may beprovided with an annular recess it tor the accommodation oit a compression ring 75 it necessary or desirable, to prevent leakage trom the cylinder between the two disks, and as indicated in Figure l, l may house springs or similar resilient means it in the said rim tor the purpose otlorcing the compression ring against the rim ot the opposed disk, and 'il' indicate guide pins or dowels preventing the rotation ot the compression ring in its groove. Similarly the l and 9; between which the rims et the said disks are received rnay be annularly recessed as at 78 and 'ill lor the reception el compression rings 8O and el equipped with springs 82 and e3 and dowel pins 8dand @5 in the same manner as the said 'compression ring 75.

rlny suitable cooling' system may be adopted, and in the eirample ll show the cylinder being provided with enternal heat radiating tins il@ and 8i' partially enclosed by a sheet metal housing 88 through which air is circulated by a lian 89' mounted on the shalt lll ot the engine.,

den outstanding teature olf this engine is the greatjlreedom :trom complicated gearing and multiplicity ot' parts in providing tor the tour cycle elclect, and the balanced. nature 'oit the rotating parts; vand it should also be noted that there is no centriitugal eflect et the pistons upon the cylinder wall due to their positive attachment to their respective disks, so 'that the absence ot tree torces creating pressure et the pistons upon the walls oit the cylinder in any direction re sults in great treedom lrom` wear such as results in the distortion oli the bores olf the cylinders oit ordinary reciprocating engines;

llhe power pistons and the heavy rim ll termed on 'their supporting dislr 1l rotating continuously in one direction act as a ,idp

wheel tending to stabilize the action or' the engine and generally eliminating the necessity itor a further flywheel, where their weight is adequate to meet the conditions ot operation ot theengine, and but a single shaft and cam is called tor in the described construction to take care ot the operation ot all the arts ont the device and the transn mission o' power therefrom.

As the esplosive impact is applied to each piston vin succession and simultaneously to pistons equi-distantly arranged around the cylinder', an even torque is obtained.

rll'he problem oit lubrication in an engine ot the type described is obviously a simple one as practically the entirev mechanism is enclosed in the chamber 'l to the upper end et which oil is pumped through the pipe ft2 by the oil pump hereinbetore retcrred to, so that such lubricant will readily reach all parts ot the mechanism within the said chamber, and, as' tar as the lcylinders are concerned, although lubrication. to the entent called tor in engines such as reciprocating engines wherein considerable torce is eirerted by the istons on the cylinder walls is not called or, it will be understood that the suction 'through the criices in the rear ot the head pistons and the hollow bolts connecting the head pistons to the head dis-lr will provide an eliicient lubrication oit the cylinder. A ipe 90 entending trom the lower part o the chamber l permits the escape ot excess oil `and also acts as a breather pipe cooperating with. the breather means supplied by the` tubular bolts "i0: and the perlorated rearends oit the head pistons in supplying air or oil vapor .to the spaces between the head pistons andthe power pistons behind said head pistons., l

rllhis invention may he developed within the scope ot the lollowinef claims without departing from the essential ileatures ot the said invention, and it is desired that the specilication and drawing te read as merely illustrative and not in a limiting' sense, ein cept as necessitated by the prior art..

l. ln an internal combustion engine, toroidal cylinder, a pair oil disks'rotatably mounted within the inner circumlerence ol'` said cylinder, one ot said. dists having rem cesses, linkages `joining saldi disks mounted in said recesses, hollow pistons movably mounted in said cylinder, and hollow bolts joining said pistons to said disks and establishing communication between the interior or said pistons and said recesses.

2. ln an internal combustion engine, casting torming a' chamber and a surrounding toroidal cylinder, a disk rotatably 'mounted in said chamber, hollow pistons movably mounted in said cylinder, hollow bolts joining said pistons to said disk and establishing communication between the inlill titi

ldll

llll

l ltt ing toroidal cylinder, a .disk rotatably mounted in said chamber, hollow pistons movably mounted in said cylinder, said pis- 'tons being orted at their ends, hollow bolts joining sai pistons to said disk and estab 10 lshing communication between the interior of said pistons and said chamber, and a breather pipe communicating with said Chiiiber' h f1 gmx u testimony w ereo m signature.

v FRED G. THANNHKUSER. 

